This Page 10 October, 2001

ALTRINCHAM (0) 0 TRAFFORD (0) 1

UniBond League Cup match, played on Tuesday, 9th October, 2001, at 7.45p.m.

There was plenty of enterprise but few direct shots at goal in this match and it took a penalty kick to separate the sides. Altrincham struggled to find a rhythm but Trafford, even without Emmett, Varley and Southworth, performed far better than they had on Saturday when trounced 4-1 at home by Gretna, Altrincham started with only five of the players who had begun the game at Accrington on Sunday and the new formation created several chances but failed to take them.

Altrincham started with just five of last Sunday's initial line-up. Coburn, Hulme and Locke were rested, whilst Craney, Thornley and Scott were relegated to the bench. Trafford were without Emmett, who broke his ankle recently, and Southwood and Varley who picked up knocks last Saturday. Dale Newbrook (left), the current Altrincham Reserves' and last year's Youth Team goalkeeper, made his first-team debut between the posts in a competitive match.

Altrincham kicked off and played the ball around quite fluently in the first few minutes but coach Graham Heathcote was not impressed. "That's all very nice but we didn't get the ball into the box", he shouted to Steve Hawes (2 mins). Trafford, too, started neatly, but it was Lee Poland who had the first meaningful shot with a low strike which Molyneaux gathered easily after Gallagher had set up the attempt (4 mins). Trafford responded with a good turn and shot by Butterworth, which went narrowly wide after Blore had fed Weston on the right (5 mins). Then, a mis-pass by Sertori gave Jones a 20 yard shot which he lofted well over Newbrook's bar (6 mins). However, Jones's effort was much nearer the target than the next effort, from Furlong, who, from a pass by Swannick, shot the ball over the Golf Road roof and about 20 yards to the right of the target (6 mins). Poland then had another opportunity, after 9 minutes, when from Furlong's ball from the right, he advanced into the area but shot across goal. The play was end to end as Trafford now put together a good passing move but no shot resulted from it. Bobby Jones, in particular, was making an early good impression in central midfield for the visitors who were well supported in the modest crowd by a vocal group of fans behind the Alty goal and also in the stand.

Furlong, as ever, was getting involved and was unlucky to get nothing when a Trafford defender fell on top of him (13 mins). Soon after Butterworth had shot wide from a Wright feed, Furlong again needed treatment after being tripped on the edge of the penalty area. However, Molyneaux held Hawes's resulting free-kick well. Adams, Murphy and Poland then combined but Poland's final cross was over-long (17 mins). Twice inside two minutes Trafford player-manager, Mark Molyneaux had to move smartly off his line to kick clear from, first, Furlong and then Poland (21 mins). At the other end, Maddox dived in near the halfway line, missed the ball and Butterworth fed Murray whose crack at goal from outside the box went too high. Illingworth was then flattened to win a free-kick on the edge of the Trafford box which led to Adams getting in a shot which Molyneaux saved well (24 mins). Poland then had the ball in the net but only well after the whistle had gone for a push by Furlong inside the Trafford penalty area as Altrincham were now beginning to assert themselves. But a foul by Sertori on Quick led to a Hogan header which went close to the upright (27 mins) as Trafford successfully attempted to come back into the game with some nice approach play and crisp passing. A Trafford cross from the left was well hooked out of the area, for Altrincham, by the retreating Adams, a former Trafford player. A Murphy ball soon evaded Quick and sent Poland into the area, left of goal. However, Poland stumbled slightly and pulled his shot well wide of Molyneaux's left upright (32 mins).

Murphy next sent a header to Molyneaux as Altrincham tried to get the breakthrough. There was then a stoppage for Furlong to be treated once again (36 mins) as Mr Ireland gave Jones and Hawes a lecture for niggling each other. Butterworth got in a shot at the other end but it was blocked before it could trouble Newbrook, whose main role in the game so far had been to kick clear back-passes rather than deal with shots. Furlong gave way to Thornley (40 mins) before Butterworth was judged narrowly offside as Trafford tried to set him free on the right (41 mins). Before the interval Murphy twice needed treatment; firstly for a head injury and then for a leg injury after being fouled. The goalless half ended with Graham Heathcote approaching the referee to voice his opinion about the performance of the officials. Altrincham had had the better chances of the half but had not taken them. However, Trafford had given a good account of themselves in a performance that was much improved on last Saturday's.

The second half opened brightly and Illingworth and Thornley soon linked to win an Alty corner. But Quick then played a fine ball for Hogan, whose low cross was cleared by the Alty defence. Blore next played an excellent ball forward to Weston, on the right, and the Trafford man advanced on goal. As he cut into the penalty area at speed, Maddox blocked his way but referee Ireland saw this as a foul rather than obstruction and pointed to the spot. Newbrook, who hadn't had a save of note to make so far, soon found himself picking the ball out of the net as Murray hit the ball to the keeper's right, as Dale went to his left (48 mins). Soon after, a snap half-volley from Illingworth cleared Molyneaux's crossbar then Hogan got in a shot which Newbrook fielded comfortably. A foul on Hawes by Jones led to the Trafford's man booking for what the referee clearly signalled was an accumulation of infringements rather than this incident alone. Illingworth was then substituted by Craney in midfield (55 mins) before Swannick made a neat interception and was fouled by Hogan, 40 yards from the Trafford goal (57 mins). Sertori knocked on the free-kick to Thornley, whose shot was beaten out by Molyneaux at the near post. Then, moments later to Altrincham's annoyance, the referee stopped play for an Alty free-kick when Thornley was advancing in a potentially menacing position. Though Alty were pressing, especially up the left side, they were not creating many clear cut chances. Jason Gallagher and Danny Murphy were having a quiet second half, so few inroads were being made on the flanks. The ref took Jason and Fry aside for a lecture after a minor spat before Murray tried a shot, which was blocked (64 mins). Weston had a better effort which went narrowly wide from 20 yards as Trafford began to get back into the game. However, Sertori broke up the next attack and fed Thornley whose shot rolled harmlessly to Molyneaux. Thornley then collided with Hogan but the referee spotted a foul by Swannick amidst the same incident and booked the young Alty full-back. It was a bad sixty seconds for Swannick for he was immediately substituted by Gary Scott (69 mins).

After Hawes had been dispossessed, Newbrook saved well from Fry's shot (69 mins) and then Houghton replaced Blore for the visitors (70 mins). Trafford now enjoyed some good passing play and won a corner off Gallagher on their left side which resulted in a goal-kick to Altrincham. Adams then won a corner at the Trafford end after a nice flick 45 yards out from Craney, near the right touchline, from a Thornley pass. Graham Heathcote next instructed Rod Thornley to move to the left and "get under Quick's feet for the final 15 minutes". Scott was then fouled by Hogan, who had a good game, but the referee now took the name of the Trafford player (78 mins). After Hawes had been penalised, a Trafford free-kick found its way to Butterworth whose low cross came out to Fry on the edge of the box but his shot was deflected over the bar for a corner on the left. From this, Jones hit a shot over the terrace roof into Golf Road (80 mins). A brief exchange between Maddox and Hogan led to a lecture for both from Mr Ireland before Alty won a corner off Wright's head (83 mins). Gallagher soon won another flag-kick on the same side as Trafford were now penned back in their own half. A third corner followed, won by Murphy as he raced into the box. From this corner, Poland's downward header seemed to be creeping into the net until Molyneaux, moving the wrong way, stopped it with his feet (86 mins). Chris Patterson now replaced Fry for Trafford (86 mins) as Altrincham continued to press. However, on the break, after Craney had lost the ball, Jones, Patterson and Murray combined for Hogan to send a low, half-hit shot across goal (87 mins). With Butterworth prostrate with cramp on the edge of the Alty penalty area, Mr Ireland waved play on before Molyneaux could put the ball into touch from a Murphy header to allow the trainer to come on (88 mins). Butterworth was replaced by McCartney as the game was deep into what eventually turned out to be five minutes of added time.

Whilst this was far from a vintage performance from Altrincham, it must be remembered that it was a side showing many changes from last Sunday. The newcomers generally made solid rather than striking contributions to the game. Against them, Trafford played some good football, with Jones and Hogan taking the eye and Quick and Quinn also solid at the back. Debutant Dale Newbrook was kept busier with his feet than with his hands but he handled the ball cleanly when called to do so. His counterpart Mark Molyneaux was the busier keeper but Altrincham were unable to take any of their chances and the UniBond First Division side, themselves depleted by injury, showed admirable determination to win the game.